JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop and officials from the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) planned to install the fourth of four high-volume pumps at the Essex Street netting facility at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013, at the foot of Essex Street.

Each of the four 60 Horse Power, 20-inch discharge pumps discharges approximately 1,400 gallons per minute for a total capacity at the storm water pump station of 80,000,000 gallons per day. There will be two more sites for installation of pumps in Bergen Lafayette and Country Village.

“These pumps are an infrastructure improvement I first worked on as Councilman and now as Mayor am pleased to see installed, especially following last year’s devastating hurricane,” said Mayor Fulop. “As we grow our city, we must ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs of our growing community. For too long residents throughout Jersey City, but especially in the downtown area, have endured repeated flooding and these pumps will help prevent that.”

During Hurricane Sandy and other serious storms, residents in the Paulus Hook and downtown neighborhoods saw their homes flood as a result of upstream flooding. This is particularly true for times of high tide during a storm. Experts say storms such as last year’s hurricane are occurring more often and these pumps make Jersey City better prepared.

The MUA paid for the submergible pumps, which cost approximately $2.5 million, using capital funds and did not bond for the project so there would be no long-term cost to residents.

“Even during the recent Nor’Easter when the first three pumps were already installed, we saw how helpful they were in reducing upstream flooding,” said Mayor Fulop. “We are continuing to work with the MUA on adding pumps in other key flood-prone areas of the city over the next several years.”